Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Top Dog SF

    4.9 (152 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

    Services - Top Dog SF

    Dog daycare

    Dog walking

    Group dog training

    2 More Services

    Private dog training

    Puppy socialization classes

    Top Dog SF Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Top Dog SF

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    We took our puppy Mila to Top Dog for two months of puppy head start and had an excellent experience. Mila is a Lagotto Romagnolo (10 weeks when we started) and can be a bit of a handful, but Mike worked wonders. She's great on leash now and her overall behavior has improved significantly. Mike is always attentive and genuinely cares about the dogs. He even recommended food options that helped resolve some of Mila's stomach issues, which was great. Shoutout to Michelle and Raina as well. Mila loved them and they took her on tons of walks. They were both awesome with her. The most valuable part is that we came away feeling equipped to keep training her ourselves. We've since taught her a bunch of tricks on our own. Well worth it. Would highly recommend to any new dog owner!

    Grace L.

    Top Dog changed our lives! We enrolled our puppy Donut in the Puppy Headstart program, and we could not be more blown away. They truly transformed him. As brand-new dog parents, we had no idea where to start, and Mike not only trained Donut every day, but also coached us on how to reinforce training at-home. The daily training videos they sent were incredibly helpful and made it easy to repeat everything on our own. Donut is now more confident, relaxed, and well-mannered - we're honestly so impressed and so proud of how far he's come. And the best part? He LOVES going to school. He happily trots through the door every day, which tells us everything we need to know about how well he's cared for. The whole staff has been nothing short of amazing: so patient, kind, and truly invested in every dog. Donut was especially loved by Mike, Michelle, and Raina, and we're so grateful for each of them. Natalie, the owner, is also an absolute pleasure to work with and runs a fantastic program. Yes, this program is an investment, but it is worth every penny! We could not recommend Top Dog SF more. If you're on the fence, do it. Your dog (and you!) will be better for it.

    Rae A.

    I was nervous about putting my 6 month old puppy mini bernedoodle in daycare because he was a little bit shy and I wanted to make sure he'd be somewhere he was actually watched. From the first day I dropped him off, I felt like he was very well cared for and monitored at TopDog playcare. I loved receiving the photo updates and they always answered any questions I had about his behavior! They would proactively reached out if something happened I needed to know about and were so sweet to give gift bags for holidays and his birthday! If it was closer to my apartment or there was pick up for playcare, we would definitely keep going, but we had to find a solution closer to home. Theo went there regularly for 6 months and it was so helpful for him and for me! Highly recommend for any nervous dog parents with new puppies :)

    Mushi loves his trainer Mike so much!
    Carmen L.

    We truly don't know what we would've done without Top Dog. Mushi joined our family at just 3 months old. We were brand new to dog parenting and felt unsure about how to give him the best start. That's when we found Top Dog and enrolled in their Puppy Preschool Program. From the moment we met Mike, we knew we were in great hands! His knowledge, patience, and genuine love for dogs made every Saturday class not only informative but incredibly encouraging. Each week, we walked away feeling more confident and better equipped to train Mushi. After Puppy Preschool ended, we wanted to continue Mushi's socialization and training, so we enrolled him in the Puppy Head Start Program. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we've made. The entire team (Mike, Raina, and Michelle) went above and beyond to support Mushi's development. Mike was always available to answer our questions, and he consistently sent us updates, photos, and videos of Mushi's training sessions. These videos were incredibly helpful. They allowed us to understand what Mushi was learning and how to reinforce that training at home. When Mushi started to show signs of resource guarding, we were overwhelmed and unsure of how to handle it. Mike and Natalie worked together to create a detailed plan and schedule tailored to Mushi's needs. Thanks to their dedication and guidance, we now feel much more confident and prepared as dog parents. Mushi has made incredible progress, and we can't wait to bring him back for daycare!

    TopDog SF - A Life-Changer for Our Puppy Karl Our pup Karl had a rough start--returned to the breeder, diagnosed with Giardia, and terrified of city life. As first-time puppy parents, we were overwhelmed and unsure how to help him gain confidence. Enter TopDog SF. From our first meeting, Natalie (the owner) made us feel supported and reassured. She listened to Karl's full history and crafted a thoughtful plan to help him recover, socialize, and get comfortable in the city. Her warmth and expertise instantly put us at ease. We enrolled Karl in the Puppy Head Start program and attended Saturday Puppy Preschool classes with Mike. The structure and care in both programs were incredible. Karl received daily socialization, training, and gentle encouragement that helped him blossom. Every week, we saw more progress--he started walking more confidently, playing with other pups, and responding better to city noises. Mike became Karl's favorite person--we called him the "puppy whisperer." His daily updates, calm demeanor, and genuine care made a huge difference. Karl would wag his tail at just the sound of his name! Thanks to TopDog SF, Karl has transformed from a timid pup into a playful, confident dog who loves heading to daycare. We've also learned so much as owners through their guidance. Natalie, Mike, and the whole team treated Karl like one of their own. Their dedication, professionalism, and love for what they do shines through in every detail. We can't recommend TopDog SF enough--it's been one of the best decisions we've made for Karl. Five stars doesn't feel like enough!

    "Closed? But I want to go in, even on Sundays!"

    Top Dog SF is the greatest place ever! I heard about Top Dog from a friend when we needed to find a doggy daycare for our pup. Our 1-year old dog loves going to Top Dog's play care so much that he jumps with excitement when we're a few blocks away. Michelle, Adriana, and Esmerelda take such good care of him, and he is very well socialized now. My entire extended family waits for the daily newsletter to see the photos of the dogs playing in the backyard. I can't recommend this place highly enough!

    I honestly love Top Dog so much! My baby boy came here for puppy training and after he graduated, I decided to enroll him in Play Care for small dogs. My dog is 6lbs and I worry about bringing him to the dog park, so I love that he gets to make friends and play with doggies his size in a safe environment. It's also nice that Top Dog sends me photos of my pup at the end of the day so I can see what he's been up to! Also, the staff here are really caring and everyone is so sweet. They're very thoughtful and treat all the pups well! My dog is always tired when I bring him home and you know what they say, "a tired dog is a happy dog!"

    I am a new client and can't say enough about how amazing Top Dog is. I have used other dog walking/training services over the years and Top Dog is hands down the best there is. The off leash adventures at their private doggy ranch are an amazing value for the service they provide. My dog comes home happy after multiple hours of playing outside with his pals and the daily photos and updates are wonderful. Communicating via the client portal is really handy and anytime I have needed to speak with Natalie she has been so helpful and kind. I recently had knee surgery and was able to use Top Dog services 7 days a week which was an absolute lifesaver for me. Every staff member I have met has been really professional and kind and really seems to care about my dog. I wanted to give a special mention to Mike who was beyond amazing with my pup when he was his walker/trainer. We are looking forward to taking training courses with him now that he is a full time trainer at Top Dog! Elsie is our current walker and she is so sweet and patient with my pup during pick up and drop off. I am so happy to have found Top Dog and look forward to being a long term client and part of the pack!

    Lee N.

    I adopted a puppy and I have NO experience with training. It's only been one week in puppy school and he's already responding to commands and he's almost completely potty trained!!

    Doggy day camp
    Polly W.

    My puppy loves doggy day camp at the Top Dog ranch! She comes home happy and tired. She runs to the door when they arrive for pick up!

    Having fun at the Montara Ranch!

    Five months ago, I rescued a 10-month-old Great Dane who had a traumatic and limited start to her life. She was already quite large at 100 pounds (she weighs 125 pounds today) and, understandably, terribly anxious. We live on California Ave, right in the heart of Nob Hill, and I can honestly say: until I saw the world through her eyes, I had no idea how chaotic the streets and parks of San Francisco are--they are too chaotic for many rescues. What made matters even worse was that our dog was afraid of other dogs--terrified, in fact. Trapped in our apartment with my large and very timid new best friend, I reached out to Natalie and Top-Dog for help: we needed a safe place for our rescue to get some exercise without other barking dogs, people, or anything else. Natalie was amazing, enabling us to use her facilities with no other dogs present. It was nothing short of huge for our rescue. She had an opportunity to run and play in an environment where she felt safe. Exercise is so important for dog happiness and good behavior. Top-Dog has two great facilities, one in San Francisco and another a 30-minute drive south in Montara. The San Francisco location has a nice, clean, well-maintained yard, where they practice great doggie hygiene and ensure all dogs in the facility are healthy and stay that way. The Montara ranch is an amazing location: it is huge, at least 4 acres in two large fenced-in runs, all grass and very well maintained, without a single foxtail to be seen. We have utilized both locations continuously over the last five months, allowing our dog to get some real exercise. Top-Dog's help and support with our rescue have been instrumental. Natalie is amazing, and her thoughtful and conscientious team runs some great facilities.

    Rose at the ranch!

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mounica B.
    408
    21
    19

    9 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C K.
    0
    212
    11

    24 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lee N.
    31
    9
    2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anya K.
    630
    17
    1

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Maricar P.

    Maricar P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Maricar P.

    Maricar P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy T.
    65
    6
    3

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of natalie t.

    natalie t.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Maricar P.

    Maricar P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Maricar P.

    Maricar P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aki A.
    48
    9
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kylie P.
    489
    13
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jason Y.
    172
    49
    16

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Top Dog SF

    Could you please let me know the cost of your classes?

    Hi Rea, we will be offering group classes in the new year. Please check back with us then on scheduling and availability. Thanks!

    Hi, do you train service dogs?

    Hello there, we do offer dog private training. Please fill out a contact form on our website with more details on what type of behaviors you are looking for to see if we can help. Thanks,

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Top Dog SF

    We are deeply grateful to Natalie for this continuing support and her kindness in making this available to us.

    Mentioned in 84 reviews

    Read more highlights

    The Comforted Kitty - The Comforted Kitty matches you with professional cat sitters in the San Francisco area.

    The Comforted Kitty

    (640 reviews)

    Parkside

    My cats and I had a wonderful experience with Comforted Kitty. Our sitter made friends with my cats…read moreon her first visit. That's right, they visit first to meet your animals and find out how to care for them. You also enter all the information in an app, so you know they have all the details to complete your requests. Our sitter did a fantastic job! Everything was done as specified. Each day of my trip, I received a full report on their daily habits and several pictures to put my mind at ease. It was worth paying a little more than you would for a neighborhood teen. Highly recommend!

    My experience with Comforted Kitty has been phenomenal. Firstly, the communication with the…read morecompany's staff has been excellent from the start. I have been fortunate enough to have Christy be the sitter caring for my cat, Birdie, twice (most recently for a three day trip I took). She is everything I would hope for in someone I entrust with taking care of my sweet cat, who is like a baby to me. I am especially particular in who I trust with this responsibility! Christy is compassionate, extremely communicative, reliable and timely, patient in answering my questions, is detail-oriented when caring for Birdie, is gentle in her interactions with her, and provides a detailed report of each visit, including photos. She is extremely professional and skilled. It eases my stress tremendously knowing Birdie is under her responsible and thoughtful care during my absence. I highly recommend Comforted Kitty and Christy, and plan to use her for a couple longer trips this summer!

    At Home Pet Sitting San Francisco - my cat

    At Home Pet Sitting San Francisco

    (21 reviews)

    Outer Richmond

    Mary has sit for our cat for over five years. She understands cats better than anyone I've met and…read morealways goes above and beyond (e.g., brings a variety of toys for playtime to accommodate each cat's different tastes, takes care of our plants, etc.). Our cat is afraid of anyone entering our apartment except Mary, and is always relaxed when we come home. She even took care of our cat shortly after he had surgery for a urinary blockage and he was at ease when we returned - I would have cancelled our trip if we didn't have Mary, who sent us regular, detailed updates and lots of photos throughout. Mary is truly a cat expert and we are very grateful to have her help whenever we're out of town.

    Having moved around a lot, we've had the need to hire a number of cat sitters over the years. Mary…read morehas been the best by far! She really, truly does go above and beyond when it comes to making sure our cats are well cared for while we're away. The initial consultation was very thorough and she asked a lot of questions to get to know our cats' needs, likes, and dislikes. She has taken the time to get to know ours cats on her visits and allowed time for them to get to know her. We have one very shy kitty that most people aren't able to get close to. Mary has gained his trust and he will walk right up to her and play with her. She is very good at sending us updates and photos when she is visiting. I'd recommend Mary to anyone - it feels wonderful to know our cats are well-taken care of whenever we leave home.

    Dog Gone Good! - last day of level 4

    Dog Gone Good!

    (434 reviews)

    Training with Mike has completely changed our lives with our GSD. We used to dread walks because of…read moreour GSD's frustrated greeter issues and excessive leash pulling, but the 1-on-1 training sessions turned everything around. We learned how to incorporate tools like the e-collar and prong collar correctly and humanely as part of a balanced training program. I really appreciated the direct, no-nonsense communication style. He gives you the facts and the fixes without sugarcoating, which is exactly what we needed. We now have a dog that we can trust off-leash even in distracting environments. The best testament to the training was seeing our GSD maintain his recall and stay by our side, even when the other dogs he was hanging out with ignored their owners and ran off to cause chaos. If you want real-world results and a trainer who tells it like it is, I highly recommend Mike.

    Four months ago, I adopted a sweet little dog from Milo Foundation and she was an absolute mess…read more Betty was picked up on the street in Bakersfield and fell into life as a pampered pooch 2 weeks later when we took her home. She had difficulty adjusting to being on leash and this otherwise affectionate and sweet pup would turn into a feral demon when she would see another dog while out on a walk. I didn't know how to solve this problem and was referred to Mike for help. We took his 6 week Puppy 1 class followed by his 6 week Puppy 2 class and I am so grateful for his guidance. In the classes, we learned many basic skills - sit, down, stay, come, heel, emergency stops, and combinations of all of these as well as techniques for handling, cradling, and examining her body. Mike gave me the foundation for working with and communicating with Betty and it has made a huge impact. I am more confident in handling Betty and she is more understanding of my direction. Our morning walks now include time dedicated to training and reviewing what we've learned. It's a lot of fun for me, and I wasn't expecting that. Betty also enjoys our morning routine and clearly has fun showing off what a smart girl she is. With appropriate training, her leash reactivity is much better and continuing to improve, but it will probably take a while to break this issue. Mike is a great trainer and I would definitely recommend his classes.

    Top Dog SF - dogwalkers - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...